Sheffield-Sheffield Lake starts something new

SHEFFIELD — With their shovels poised, the Sheffield-Sheffield Lake school district superintendent, school board and others dug the first ground at the site of a new $31 million school building Saturday morning.

The new building, made possible by voters who approved a 4.94-mill, $31 million bond levy in May 2011, will house students in grades seven through 12. MKC Associates was hired for the construction of the facility, and Regency Construction will manage the project.

Superintendent Will Folger thanked the approximately 150 people in attendance at Saturday’s ceremony for their support.

“We had no idea there would be this many people,” he said. “We’re very pleased there is this many people.”

The 140,000-square-foot facility was described by Folger as “the building in the woods.” The building will be surrounded by 39 acres of preserved wetlands, something that has proven some difficulty in planning the project.

The project is expected to be completed in September 2014, but it was delayed for about eight months while the district worked with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and the Ohio Historical Society to get permission to build on the site.

The district received permission to build on 5.6 acres of wetlands, Folger said, but the rest of the land is to be preserved as a park area for residents to use.

“It will be very special — something the community can really, really be proud of,” Folger told the crowd Saturday.